Research On Defense System And Military Fortresses Of Ming Great Wall Shanhaiguan Defense Area

Shanhaiguan, which is known as "the first pass under heaven", is very important in the eastern end of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. As the key eastern gateway to Beijing, Shanhaiguan stands between the mountains and the ocean. The natural terrain and majestic artificial fortness complement each other to form a rigorous military defense system, well-known as a typical representative of defense system of the Ming Great Wall. Along with the advance of history, Shanhaiguan detense area expanded to a larger range, rather than just one fortress. In the late Ming Dynasty, it had been a combined defense area based on Shanhaiguan and defended in both land and sea. And military fortresses in it reflected the distinct characteristics in the military defense. Takeing the Shanhaiguan detense area for the overall research goal, the study attempts through history, geography, architecture and military view to explore the defense system frame of Shanhaiguan detense area and defensive characteristics of its military fortresses. Firstly, based on research about the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty defense system and Guan type of settlement, the study tries to explore the general and special characters of the area. Secondly, clarify the history and area evolution process of the area, lay the foundation for further analysis. Thirdly, analyze the levels of the defense system from the military management system and the material carrier two aspects and then summarize the characteristics. Fourthly, research into the spatiotemporal distribution of the military fortresses and draw the corresponding graph. At last, combined with a large number of historical data collection and field survey, analyze the defensive characteristics of the military fortresses from site selection, layout, construction and other aspects.The study focuses on the integrity and interdisciplinary applications of the research, attempts to break the original concept of defense region, combines cultural history, physical geography, military with architectural and planning research methods. It aims to deepen the understanding of Shanhaiguan defense system, and provides some references for protection and utilization.